How To Create Professional Table of Contents Using MS-Word

This article provides a detailed pictorial illustration of how to create a professional table of contents using Microsoft Word Software. A good table of contents is essential for professional academic writing; therefore, learning how to make one is necessary.

This article also illustrates how to use MS Word to automatically create the Table of contents without manually typing in the contents on a new page.

What Is A Table Of Contents?         

A table of contents is a list that shows all the content in academic writing, with their page numbers. It groups the content into headings, subheadings, and other subsections. The Table also shows the number of chapters and other subunits contained in a book.

It is necessary for easy navigation through a book. A good table helps the reader locate the particular page without reading through the entire volume.

It is also necessary to show the different sections of a book, such as the chapters, sub-chapters, etc., to make reading more efficient.

How To Create Table Of Contents on MS Word

Before creating a table of contents in MS Word, one must format the heading styles on the menu bar. In my previous article, I described how to create headings and subheadings using MS Word. You can read through the article by clicking here.

To create the Table, the following steps should be followed:

• Create the headings and subsections using the multilevel list on the menu bar as described here.
• Go to the top of the document and add a line space using the ENTER KEY.

• On the menu bar, select references.

• Under the references, select the Table of contents.

• Select automatic table 1
• Proceed to format the Table using the appropriate line spacing.

• Go to view on the menu bar, and check the document map.
• The document map will appear by the side to enable easy navigation to any document section.

This article has illustrated how to create a professional table of contents using MS Word. Please use the comment section below if you have any comments or questions.

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